How Deepica Mutyala Is Evolving Live Tinted Beyond Product

Visibility got them here. Connection is what comes next.

EXPERT OPINION BY SOPHIE MEHARENNA, FOUNDER + NARRATIVE STRATEGIST, @WORDYSOPH

Deepica Mutyala. Illustration: Inc.; Photos: Elizabeth Weinberg; Courtesy Live Tinted; Adobe Stock

Since it hit Ulta Beauty shelves, Live Tinted has been known for its clear point of view and loyal community. Now, with years of experience under her belt, Deepica Mutyala is shifting the focus from reach to relationship. 

When I sat down with Mutyala, we didn’t just revisit milestones from her founder’s journey. We looked back at the conditions that made Live Tinted possible while simultaneously unpacking the future that’s quickly unfolding. 

Scaling the beauty of being seen 

Her first viral video, only the second she had ever posted on YouTube back in 2015, revealed a gap in representation and resonated with audiences in ways that even she didn’t anticipate. As she waxed poetic about color-correcting dark spots on her skin while sharing tips for addressing them, her overnight visibility called her to attention.  

Confronted with the widespread impact of her personal story and a long-held dream of building a beauty brand, Mutyala quit her job immediately. What followed wasn’t an immediate push into product, but the slower construction of a digital community that felt emotionally invested in what Live Tinted stood for before it ever touched a shelf. 

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Live Tinted wasn’t built on product alone, but on recognition and belonging, captured in its rallying cry, “it feels good to be seen.”  

In this next phase, Mutyala is focused on translating that feeling into something more tangible: physical spaces and experiential moments. 

Expanding reach into presence

As Live Tinted expanded into product and scaled across Ulta Beauty, it solved for visibility and access. Over time, it became clear that neither guarantees attachment. 

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